The feature, which launched Friday, seems to work for much of the U.S. and Canada. Google says Maps already factored in elevation when determining routes for cyclists, but until now the elevation data wasn't made easily visible.

Type in an origin and destination for biking, and the service now displays a graphical representation of the route's elevation. Drag the cursor along the chosen route and the graphic shows the elevation changes at any given point. The total elevation change is also displayed.

It's not clear where Google is getting its elevation data from, though it could be an integration with its own Elevation API. That software kit provides elevation data for all locations on the surface of the Earth, Google says, including depths on the ocean floor. Bikers probably won't be using Maps for underwater rides, though.